Lost Tales of the Earth: Book 1 Courtship
by Zmann966
Summary: Mikado, a powerful earthbender, arrives on Kyoshi to a challenge he has never faced before. A young warrior woman ha brought him into a battle that he cannot hope to overcome. A battle of the heart
1. Chapter 1

**1---**

Mikado was a tall young man; short dark brown hair topped his somewhat rounder face. His long legs supported a thin yet well-built torso. Full lips that often pulled into a crooked grin were dripping with water.

He was new to Kyoshi, but as he stood up from taking a long pull from a community water barrel, he thought that he could fit in quite nicely. The people eyed him with suspicion, but that was well known as a common thing for the people of the small island. They stared at him out of the corners of their eyes, and many attempted to peer underneath his straw and bamboo hat to get a look at his eyes. Most of them gave up quickly though, seeing that the depths of the shadows created by the wide brim were impenetrable.

He stretched and slung his modest knapsack onto his shoulders. Acting just like any other traveler from his home town, he started up one of the few streets in the small town.

"Some funny looking clothes ya got there, son." An old man commented as Mikado walked past.

Mikado assessed the old man, probably in his seventies or so, missing most of his teeth and wearing the brown drab of a commoner. He then glanced down at his attire, nothing out of the ordinary, just his loose green robes covering his more tight-fitting tanned leather that marked him a commoner of the Earth Kingdom. Maybe the old one was speaking about his wide-brimmed farmer's hat, though he assumed it was quite common in the Earth Kingdom. "Excuse me, sir?"

"Well it's just we don't get many visitors to Kyoshi who dress like girls." He peered closer at the younger man. "How old are ya anyway?"

Mikado rolled his eyes at the clothing comment and looked around. It was true, he could see nobody else that was wearing robes. It seems that his town's sense of style was not widely recognized. He sighed but kept his tone in check when he replied. Respect of elders was one of the first things he was taught. "I am seventeen old one. I would ask you the same but instead let me offer you my name, which is Mikado." He flourished his loose sleeves in a deep bow before the older man.

The senior slapped his knees. "Eeehee! Finally a young man with manners! Boy you don't see too many guys like that around anymore these days." He grabbed the younger but much taller man's hand in a vigorous handshake that left the boy's arm sore. "Well I guess I can overlook your misguided fashion sense for your polite tongue! I'm called geezer by most, but my true name is Kareem. Ohh, I'm also seventy three!"

Mikado was forced to pry his hand out of the old man's deceptively strong grip. "It is a pleasure Kareem. Maybe you can assist me? Where would you suggest a weary traveler get some dinner and a bed around here?" he glanced around as if hoping to find an inn on the main street.

Fortunately Kareem was quick to answer him, and his toothless grin widened as he explained it to the youngster. "Why there aint any inns or such on Kyoshi. Luckily for you I happen to have a spare bedroom!" With that he grabbed Mikado's wrist with his strong vice-like hands and pulled him along as he walked down the street, all the while prattling on about his life, home, and anything else he could think of. "Why it's been years since I've had company! Ever since my dear ol' Misty passed a few years back, bless her kind soul. Well, at least I've done a decent job keeping it clean just in case!"

Mikado was about to protest, saying he couldn't possibly impose on the elder, when the chap stopped abruptly and turned to grin up at him. Mikado was forced to dig his heels into the ground to stop from plowing into the short man

"I can imagine you'd want to be stayin' somewhere nicer; but I assure you, you won't find any better company on Kyoshi!" With that he flung open the door to the house they had stopped beside. He grinned once more at the young man and sauntered proudly inside, as if he was the king of Ba Sing Se.

Mikado shrugged and followed him inside, and as soon as his eyes adjusted to the darker room he studied it carefully.

It was not necessarily shabby, but it wasn't luxurious either. It did have a homely feel to it, Mikado had to give it that, even if most of the surfaces we a bit dusty. Overstuffed chairs and a table occupied the main room but, glancing down a hall he could see that a few rooms with beds were much more barren.

"Thank you sir, I would be very grateful to stay with you, and I can imagine the talk would be much more interesting than any tavern or inn." Mikado bowed once more to Kareem.

With that, the old man's face lit up and his grin widened even more, looking as if it might split his face in twain. "It's no problem son, as I said I've been missing company for a long time." He bustled down the hallway and pointed to the room at the far end, "If ya wanna throw your stuff in there, I'll get some food cooking." He squeezed past the young man and his thin pack on his way to the kitchen.

"Thank you sir!" Mikado called over the rattle of pots and pans in the next room. He laid his bag on the bed and quickly unpacked the two extra pairs of clothes and his dual katanas. The latter he wrapped in his shirts and slid under the bed. The fewer surprises the kind old man had, the better. He also hoped to keep the pretenses of a traveling farmer boy up. Finely crafted swords would not compliment his desired image.


	2. Chapter 2

**2----**

The next few days Mikado helped Kareem in his shop, assisting customers to the well-carved wood pieces that the old man put out at a pretty constant rate. Even in the small, hot shop he did not remove his hat. Customers were put off at this, and the rumors flew wild through town. It did not bother Mikado much, people would always have their rumors, and gossip will always remain the best place for news, whether it is true or not.

It was only when the old man tapped him on the shoulder and handed him a foot-long box did he look up from his work.

"Yes sir?" he inquired as he took the box.

"There's gonna be a girl comin' by for this later. Lotsa makeup, you can't miss her. Make sure she gets this. I'm gonna go take a bath in the stream before lunch. My old bones need a rest from this work." He let Mikado take the box from him.

"And how much does she need to pay sir?" He stored the box underneath the counter and watched Kareem put on his overcoat and grab a towel from under his seat.

The old man turned back on his way out the door and, with his usual bare grin, replied, "Ohh naw, it's a gift."

Mikado only pondered the thought for a moment before shrugging it off and returned to his work.

An hour or so later, as the sun reached it's zenith, Mikado saw someone who could only be the girl Kareem was talking about walking down the road towards the shop.

She was tall, yes, unusually so; but what drew the boy's eye was the ornate headband that ringed her walnut-hued hair. That, coupled with the pale blush that turned her face white and the blood-red lipstick and eye shadow, made her the oddest person he had ever seen. When he finally drew his eyes away from her makeup he studied her face. It was sharp, angled, perfectly proportioned though. A deadly type of beauty, Mikado thought, like a viper ready to strike.

She walked into the shop and straight up to the counter. Her eyes attempted to meet Mikado's tall gaze with a cold stare, perfectly level to him. He was stunned by this, being a good six foot two he was unusually tall for a boy his age, but for a girl it was almost extraordinary. She quickly sized him up, something Mikado was quite used to and, unable to peer beneath the shadow of his wide hat, just as rapidly dismissed him.

"Where's Kareem?" she ask impatiently.

Mikado attempted to speak, but he couldn't. Her voice had constricted his throat, it was edged and razor sharp, but there was a sweet ring to it that made his heart skip a beat. "I… I…"

She cocked her eyebrow and crossed her arms clearly not impressed. "Well? Spit it out!"

"I, uhh… He left early."

She let out an impatient huff and asked, "well when will he get back? I have an important package I need to pick up today."

Mikado's brain started functioning again, and he remembered the box under the counter. "Ohh! Yeah, I have that." He mentally slapped himself, what happened to the glib young man he was used to?

She glared at him even harder, "I cannot believe that geezer Kareem left it with…" she looked him up and down again clearly unimpressed, "you."

He produced the box and set it atop the counter, so that she may study it, but it was quickly snatched out of his smooth yet worked hands by her gloved ones. "He gave me orders to give it to you."

"I would imagine so," she rolled her eyes. "At least you have a mind to understand orders." She snapped at him as she opened the box.

Mikado let out a low whistle as he was amazed to see her pull out two beautiful weapons. The craftsmanship was awe-inspiring in itself. But weapons? For a girl? Well, this explains her sharp personality, he thought.

She clearly wasn't amused at his remark, and glibly toyed with him. "What, you haven't seen fighting fans before?" She opened them and inspected them as a jeweler would a gem. Snapping them shut and opening them again she gave a few quick passes to test their weight. "Have you ever seen any weapon before?"

"No… I mean, yes! It's just that I have never seen such wonderfully crafted fans before!" He stared at the weapons in her hands, noting her well-shaped and long fingers as well, "and I've been around weapons for a quite awhile, but these are stunning!" He sighed, he knew he just set himself up for an insult from this interesting woman. Well, he thought smugly, he would prove himself to her then.

"You! Around weapons?" She let out a hearty laugh. "What would a farmer's boy like you know about weapons?" Still chuckling she set the fans back in the box and regarded him amusingly.

"Well, for one, I am not a farmer. Well, my father was, but I'm not."

She snorted; obviously his argument wasn't strong enough. "And?"

"I've been traveling since I was very young. When you're on the road you tend to learn a lot of things. Like, for instance that fans as good as those aren't common, especially for free."

She smiled and slipped the fan case into a bag she had slung around her. "Well if that's it…" she turned to start out the door.

"Actually, _miss_," the word miss said with as much demeaning tone on it as possible, "I am a master with weapons, trained in many forms, including an array of unarmed combat. Not to mention I am one of Ba Sing Se's youngest Ground-Masters."

"Ahh, and earthbender eh? You know," she turned to him and put her face right in his, close enough that he could feel her warm breath on his cheek, "Every earthbender I've met is a very poor fighter without it. Seems to me all of you rely too much on your bending in a battle."

Sensing the challenge in her voice Mikado recovered his senses after the sensuous torment of her lips being so close to his, "well then, it seems that I will have to be the one to end such a rumor. Do you accept?" He studied her bluish-gray eyes with as much challenge in his voice as he could muster.

"Hmm, a fight? Alright, meet me tonight in the last building up the mountain on the main street." She glanced under his hat, attempting once more to see his face. "But, I would like to see the face of my challenger before hand…" she slyly coaxed.

Mikado shrugged and pulled off his hat. "Mikado, at your service milady." He bowed but his head stayed level and his eyes never left hers.

She seemed unable to breathe, but what she saw has shaken her badly.

His eyes, his ice-gray eyes. They were so deep, as if fathomless, yet they gave nothing away, she could not detect any emotion in them. But she felt as if she were pulled in, she imagined herself caught in those eyes, trapped as an animal frozen a glacier for centuries. She would be caught for centuries… The thought snapped her back to her remaining senses.

Wrenching her gaze away from his captivating stare, she hurried out the door, wanting to put as much distance between herself and those eyes as quickly as possible.

"Wait! I haven't heard your name!" Mikado called out as she exited.

She turned back, her eyes on the floor, "It's Suki…" She paused, about to say more, but her mouth hardened into a fine line and her resolve set in.

She hurried out the door and up the street.


	3. Chapter 3

**3---**

Mikado was quite pleased with Suki's reaction at his eyes. He grinned as he replaced his hat upon his head. He was well known in his town for his eyes. The gray was known to captivate anyone, whether stun a young girl passing by or paralyzing his opponents in battle. Not only that, but they were known to change depending on his mood.

"They should be turning a nice green now, hehe" he chuckled to himself. "Well, I better prepare for tonight's 'ordeal.' Though it should be quite challenging and very interesting."

He closed up shop just before the sun set behind the mountains on the far side of the island. He hurried to Kareem's house to eat a light supper quickly and, with apologies to the older man, skipped their usual "story time" insisting that he had to go meditate.

"Meditate huh? You are a weird one aren't ya?" the old man pestered him as he changed clothes and headed out the door.

"It's something I have learned from the old airbender monks. It was said that by clearing their minds they could harness the very random waves of the sky. My sensei has taught me to learn something from everybody, other nations especially." It was then that he realized his folly; he had not told Kareem that he was an earthbender.

The old man seemed to catch on this fact, but he didn't press the matter and just waved the boy out. "Ohh! Did you need those fancy swords you got under the bed?" he asked and hurried off down the hall.

Shame filled Mikado's face, the old man must not think that I trust him. "yes sir, I will probably be needing those." He took the bundle from the stooped, balding man and was about to offer his apologies when he was cut off.

"No need to explain yourself to me boy, I understand a man's business is his business unless he decides otherwise." He winked and elbowed the kid's ribs, "plus, it's not like I haven't been on the outside of a secret before. Now go on and get outta here."

Mikado bowed to his elder with new respect and strapped the swords to his back.

He could not, for the life of himself, concentrate enough to meditate that night. Every time he calmed his body and smoothed his thoughts, light blue eyes would rise up, surrounded by the angular face of a lovely young woman.

"Damnit Suki! It seems my own eyes weren't the only ones inflicting damage today!" He cursed and kicked at the ground, which rumbled beneath him. Settling himself again he attempted to suppress the thoughts of Suki, and their cursed reinforcements: his emotions.

Similarly Suki was having trouble concentrating the rest of the day. It wasn't Mikado's eyes that threw her usually centered mind askew, it was her own feelings. She had never felt something like this toward anybody, and the emotions she had did not confuse her, she had been taught like any normal girl, but they scared her.

"Is there something wrong Suki?" one of the girls she was training asked her.

"No, it's nothing. I just am thinking about the fight ahead." She didn't know why she lied to the young girl. This too scared her. "I am the master of myself, not some farmer boy." She muttered inwardly.

"What's that?"

"Ohh nothing, just imagining the look on his face when we meet in combat." She smiled. Another lie… What was happening to her?

The night was cool, not unpleasantly so, but enough to notice it if one stayed out too long. "A perfect night, not a cloud in the sky, the moon is shining full." Mikado stretched as he walked towards the large hut he was to meet Suki at. "It's a shame we can't spar outside."

He had reached the door. He sighed and took the few steps up and into a large room with resolve.

"So you decided to show… surprising already."

His brows tightened at the voice, Suki. He hadn't been in the room more than two seconds and she was already ridiculing him. "A warrior cannot forget his engagements; it would look extremely bad for him." He bowed to her, noticing a few younger girls standing around the room. Damn, he thought, spectators. "I believe I have a rumor to quash that all earthbenders rely too much on their bending to fight." With a flourish he flung off his green robes and with the grace of a cat folded them and placed them in a corner before they hit the floor. This very showy maneuver drew the reaction he was looking for.

The girls whispered to each other about his manor and appearance, surely the way Suki talked about him, they expected a weak, uneducated farm kid. They did not actually expect a slightly muscular, and if he had a say, handsome young man.

He grinned beneath his bamboo hat. He had chosen to wear his tanned leather jerkin; very tight fitting with no sleeves it perfectly flaunted his thin but firm arms. His legs were clad in long flowing pants, green with hand-sewn earthbending symbols; they had the look of being those normally worn by monks.

They also whispered about his wide hat, and why he had it on at night. Suki must not have told them about his face. Good, let them find out for themselves.

"Hmm, dual swords? Do you know how to use those things, little boy?" Suki's chin went up in an arrogant smile.

"You must be mistaken, milady. These are not dual swords, but are two separate katanas, they will act independently, unlike dual swords." He approached her and bowed, pulling his swords form their scabbards and presenting them to her hilt-first.

She received his bow with a similar motion and accepted the swords. "Hmm," she regarded them intently, enough that she ran her fingers over every inch, as if savoring them, "very high quality, where'd you steal them from?"

Mikado's crooked grin widened, of course she wouldn't compliment him on his weapons. "They were a gift as, I believe, were yours. May I see them?" It was customary for warriors to inspect each other's equipment before sparring.

She produced two ornately-carve fans, handing them to the mysterious boy, the same ones she had received earlier that day.

Mikado took them under the watchful eye of Suki, and opened and closed them, admiring their weight and feel. "May I?" he inquired.

"Of course," she replied.

Mikado spread the fans wide and made a few passes with them. They sliced the air and spun perfectly. Indeed he had never before seen fans made so well.

He closed them and returned them to their rightful owner with a bow.

"Your own weapons," she handed back his swords. "I noticed that they are sharp, good. My own fans are combat-ready also."

His eyes widened, only very skilled masters even attempted to fight with sharpened fighting fans. He was grateful for his hat, which hid his surprise.

"Shall we begin?"

"Of course, will your students be watching?" He asked the question only to show his disapproval of their presence, fully knowing that they would not leave.

"They will."

He sighed, "very well then."

He whipped off his hat with an overly showy movement and threw it across the room to send it landing atop his neatly-folded robes.

The short gasp around the room was exactly what Mikado expected. It happened every time, but he still relished in it. He also noticed that Suki avoided his eyes as she took her place opposite him on the mat.

They bowed.

Suki took on a very low stance with both arms extended, one that Mikado recognized immediately as one designed to strike quickly and strongly, one that had very little defense.

Mikado nodded and posed in a stance opposite. A tall stance on the balls of his feet, one that was designed to counter Suki's low-slung body.

A few tense moments passed while both combatants regarded their opponent, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

Seeing that this would never progress Mikado made the first move with a few quick steps in and a high-kick aimed to come down on the woman's shoulder.

He realized his mistake when the girl gave out an amused huff and, like a snake striking pushed her shoulder right into his thigh, sending him far off balance.

The mistake was not too costly, for when Suki made the next blow, intended to connect her elbow with his chest, the limber man recovered with a back handspring, much to the astonishment of the girls.

"I see," he reflected as he swung to his feet, "very unexpected, that move."

Suki just smiled at him and reformed her stance. He would have to be very careful in this fight, less he embarrass himself in front of this amazing girl. And her students, he remembered.

He spun on his heel and leapt towards his opponent, forcing her back and pressed his attack. She was hard-pressed to keep on her feet at his ferocity. Every movement of his was fast, yet balanced in a way that any counter she could think of would just leave her open for an attack.

She felt the wall at her back as she bumped into it and smiled, "Try this on for size."

Placing both her hands on the wall and leaning backward she leapt into the air and put both feet on the wall. The sheer agility required for such an accomplishment made Mikado stare in wonder.

Suki used her bunched legs to propel her over the warrior and roll into a crouch behind him. Before he could react, she took quick advantage of her position.

She pulled her fans as she lunged at the warrior's back, fully intending to pin his arms and put him in a "surrender or die" headlock. What she did not expect was the man's reaction.

Her fans did not wrap around his chest or press into his throat, nor were his hands pinned to his side as they should be. Her fans were in empty space, her arms spread-eagle. She bumped into his back and her arms were ripped down and she was immediately caught in his strong embrace.

His swords, that had been her downfall, she thought as she saw both of them out of their scabbards and stuck in the ground. When she had leapt at his back, Mikado had pulled his swords from his back, knowing what she was intending, and had swept them across his exposed area to deflect her attack. He imbedded his swords in the ground and used his now-free hands to catch her in a backwards hug.

He could feel her pressed up against him, though he could not see her. His mind clouded, his hormones overcame his rational thought and all he could think about was the feel of her warm body pressed against his. He would think about it later, and realize that not only did his emotions not have his best interest at heart, but it was not the only time they betrayed him.

Suki sensed his hesitation and acted upon it. A quick readjustment of her feet and a backwards roll sent the young man spinning on the ground, on his stomach and completely stunned. She did not need encouragement to use this advantage, though she received quite a bit from the girls that lined the walls.

Mikado sensed his opponent coming up on him fast, and did the best he could to roll over onto his back and defend against whatever the agile femme-fatale had planned for him. To his great luck he saw her poised above him halfway through a kick aimed directly at his ribs.

Good, I can win against this, he thought, as he caught her foot and rolled up her leg. He smiled as he saw her face when he bowled her over.

Both combatants recovered with astonishing speed and, to Suki's dismay, Mikado had recovered his swords. She had to get rid of those fast, or their superior reach would be her bane.

Her chance was soon in coming.

Mikado charged forward, one katana outstretched with the purpose of driving right through her midsection. She caught the deadly blade mere inches from running her through and closed her fan on it, clasping the katana firmly within its confines. She was in control of the sword now, and she decided to throw it away.

The earthbender felt his katana being wrenched out of his hand as Suki twisted her fan and threw it toward the wall. Unfortunately his sword went with it and was too far away to think about regaining it.

What Suki didn't see was the second blade coming down on her head. The collective gasp of her students alerted her in time and she spun away, only receiving a graze on her shoulder that cut the cloth, but did not break the skin.

Mikado was also grazed by Suki's remaining fan. As she spun away she lashed out with her other hand and put a long tear in the leather of his chest.

Both warriors smiled at their work when they leapt back and regarded the other. Mikado's blood started to pulse quicker when he saw the large gap of exposed shoulder. Again there were a few tense moments as both of them sized the other up again, now assessing their weaknesses and strengths. And again Mikado was the first to act.

Raising his sword above his shoulder he leapt high into the air and brought it down towards the warrior woman in a powerful arc. She could not escape, that was for sure, and blocking such an attack would be equally useless. All she could do was decide what part of her would take the hit and what she would do just after the strike.

As the blade whistled toward her she raised her arm, intending to slow the attack on her forearm guard, hopefully it would hold and it would not shatter bone.

Seeing this reaction Mikado's face softened, what was he doing? He was attempting to kill her, that's what he was doing. The thought disgusted him as much as the knowledge that he let himself get so caught up in the battle that he forgot just who he was fighting with and that they were sparring. He had to act quickly or nothing could stop her inevitable death.

He pulled the sword to his right at the last moment, glancing off Suki's upraised arm and spun the pommel in his hands, turning the blade flat so that when it struck the ground it would not impale itself in the soft wood.

The smack of metal on wood was followed by a dull thump as the blade reverberated and caused Mikado's arms to wobble a bit as he swung the weapon in a wide arc, taking the girl's feet right out from under her.

Falling flat on her rump, Suki's pride was replaced with humility. The pain that lashed up her spine rapidly dissipated and she spun to her feet, using her fan to strike the man's wrist as he recovered from his swipe.

The sword fell from his nerveless grip as his hand went temporarily numb from the hard wood of the fan. Suki kicked the sword away and it spun into the corner to rest alongside its copy.

That takes care of that, she smirked and crouched low, building her strength for the final lunge.

Mikado massaged his bright red hand, attempting to regain feeling in it when he saw his combatant lunge at him, the fan closed and pointed at his heart. Whether by chance or he was genuinely lucky, he regained movement of his hand at that exact moment and used it to grab Suki's own hand and use her momentum to throw her past him.

She was caught off guard by this sudden movement, but recovered quickly and turned to bring her fan back into his face. She felt the ornate medal headband slip from her head.

Mikado's deft fingers had released the clasp on the back of her head with a quick snap and he yanked it so it slid around and off her brow.

The clang of metal on metal surprised the new students that sat watching, and a few of them even balked at the noise. Expecting a cry of pain from the handsome man, they instead got the retort of a well-placed block.

The headband was firmly wrapped around the fan, stopping it but millimeters from Mikado's nose. He breathed a sigh of relief and pulled one end of the band while at the same time twisting the other, sending the fan sailing through the air and across the room.

Caught off guard yet again Suki could not stop the disposal of her last weapon, nor could she stop the following throw. She was vaguely aware of being pulled forward, and spun about by her arm.

He pulled on her outstretched arm and used his body and legs to spin her past his side once more, only this time, as she moved away from him, he pulled her golden headband in front of her and fastened it back into place, ringing her beautiful hair.

The shock on Suki's face was something he reveled in, his eyes clouded over with the familiar green of mirth. Before she could pull through her daze and attack again he lifted his hand.

"You are a very fine warrior, Suki. I am glad we had this session." He bowed very low, this time dipping his head in submission. "I accept you as an equal, I hope that next time, we will fight side by side. Your skill is something I wish to see more of, it impresses me greatly."

By this time Suki had recovered from her initial shock and, with a smile on her own face, bowed to him. "You also are a fine fighter," she paused, not certain how to continue, she had never planned on apologizing to this man. "I apologize for my earlier treatment, you have every right to be treated like the warrior you are, Mikado."

They both stood and faced each other. Mikado extended his hand, and Suki stepped forward to take it. They shook hands, but what happened next felt like an attack, and she tensed up.

The strong young man pulled the woman by her arm and close to him, using the same hand he spun her around and placed his other on her back. He dipped her low and planted a kiss on her lips. He felt her whole body loosen in his arms for the few seconds they shared.

She immediately tensed up and he knew that his time was over. Sighing he raised her up again and spun her to her feet, facing him. He glanced at her eyes, expecting to see lust, maybe playful revulsion, or even a bit of spite most warrior women share.

What he did not expect was the look of utter shock on her face. His own eyes widened as he beheld her reaction, and he knew he had to leave. If he stayed any longer he risked retaliation, and shame by the girls surrounding him. Which, he noticed were as open-mouthed and wide-eyed as their instructor.

He bowed again hurriedly and gathered up his belongings and briskly walked out the door. Turning back at the portal he stared at Suki for a few short moments, she only looked forward with the same expression. "Thank you ladies, for the enjoyable evening." With that, he left.

Suki tried to recall what had just happened, it took place so fast she wasn't sure it even occurred. The warm tingling on her lips caused her to tentatively lick them, trying to bring moisture back into them; she tasted what was left of Mikado on her, and it reminded her of something. She could not place it immediately, but she knew the familiar taste.

It was when the giggling and the whispering rose to a very audible level did Suki realize where she was.

"Off to bed!" she yelled at the girls, some stood up to obey but other just stared at her. Suki didn't like to repeat herself, "Now!" All the girls rose and bustled out the door, clearly scared by their teacher's fury.

The remaining warrior of Kyoshi still stood in the middle of the now-empty room, trying to piece together the exact events of the night.

She knew she had been kissed, that was for certain. It was a cunning move, very sly, she could not be held accountable for that. The boy had snuck up on her, there was nothing she could do about that.

The kiss had not been rough, nor had it been too soft. It was the kiss of a passionate man to be sure, but it was not that of a sexually-crazed one.

It was a kiss of love.

Her feelings changed from shock, to an analytical view, then to cold rage. Where does he get off, kissing her like that? Her! A warrior of Kyoshi, she was above his rank. Surely she can't be held responsible for such an action!

But then, she thought to herself, why did I return the kiss?

Later, while she was in bed, her dreams haunted with deep gray eyes, she woke with a start. She knew she recognized that taste.

Strawberries.

She licked her lips again, hoping to get another taste of the young man, and, declined the pleasure, fell back asleep.

Her dreams were now filled with handsome eyes of gray and green, and the flavor of strawberries on her lips.

Across the street, Mikado was having similar difficulties finding rest. Every hour or so he would wake, get up from his bed and walk across the moonlit floor to his window. There, he would stare out at the house across the street and a few down for a few minutes, hoping to catch a glimpse of Suki.

This is ridiculous, he thought, there is no way she would come outside at this time of night. His love for the warrior woman was something new to him.

Sure he had lusted after many young girls in his early boyhood, but those only extended to puppy love, and never progressed past the point of holding hands. This new feeling, that of true love, surprised him.

It was quite an awakening. Once he thought that no force in the world aside from the fire lord himself could stop Mikado from achieving his goal. Now, a simple girl had stopped him dead in his tracks and had taken him to his knees with nothing more than a smile.

The young warriors were restless, and could not sleep. What had happened had stunned, killed, and revived both of them, leaving them speechless with barely a brain to function.

Both of them had just received their first kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

**4---**

That morning came slowly for Mikado, instead of the usual "morning person" body that was up, alert and ready for anything by dawn, he awoke to find a sluggish, slightly irritated boy in his place.

Grumbling he ate a light breakfast Kareem had set out for him before leaving to open up shop. The food gave him enough fuel for the gears and cogs in his mind to start spinning, and by the time he had finished his third bowl of the flavorless oatmeal, he had a plan.

He was past trying to impress Suki, he had done that all last night. He didn't quite know what she felt for him, but he knew he had to act the part of an aloof and arrogant man. This would attract her attention and hopefully put him in a positive light after the shock he had given the night before.

Rising and leaving the warm home he set out into the still-dark morning with a towel. By eavesdropping on a few conversations last night as the younger warriors of Kyoshi left their dojo, he had come to know where the girls bathed.

He started up the trail and, after an exhausting climb, found the cool stream that looked like the place the girls talked about. He quickly disrobed and hurled himself bodily into the rushing current.

He bobbed to the top of the water yelling, cursing and puffing. "Cold!" It was very true, the late winter was still thawing the snows atop the mountains and the stream was pure snowmelt. He steeled himself against the freezing water and while he waited, scrubbed himself.

He did not have to wait long before he heard voices in the woods. Female bantering and giggles grew louder as they approached. He stood tall in the waist-deep water, so that none of them were taken by surprise at his sudden appearance in the river.

Luckily, all of the girls saw him as they approached and only stopped to give him dirty looks.

"I'm sorry ladies, did you have this spot reserved?" he called out, stretching his arms above the water.

"Well well, our 'friend," one of the girls strode forward to speak to him. "Mikado isn't it? For your information, Suki's not here." She grinned at the slight dip in his smile, a dip he quickly hid. "she hasn't been seen all morning."

Mikado frowned at this, he was hoping Suki would be here. Ohh well, he thought, he couldn't do any harm impressing her subordinates.

"I see, well if you girls has planned bathing here before I had I'll just take my leave." He began to walk towards the shore and the water line started to recede on his body.

"Please! Have some modesty!" the girl raised her hand to cover her eyes. "Cover yourself!"

Mikado shrunk back into the water. "Ohh, I apologize, unfortunately my clothes are far up on the shore, and I'm unable to reach them without exposing myself." One of the girls suggested they throw his robes in the water for him to change, to which he replied, "and freeze to death in the cold morning? No, I have a better idea."

He stretched out his arms, and with a whirling motion and a flick of his wrist sent water spraying into the air. The girls recoiled from the freezing spray but kept their eyes on the man in the water. A large blob of mud rose out from the water amidst the mist and hovered right in front of Mikado.

Some of the girls gasped or squealed with delight at the display of earthbending. He used a few careful movements of his arms and hands and wrung the mud out, causing just a block of dirt to remain.

"I'll remove myself from your bathing area, milady." He began to walk out of the water and some of the girls reflexively covered their eyes again.

This motion was useless as the dirt formed itself around Mikado's waist and expanded down his legs as they rose out of the river. Tight shorts of earth appeared around the man and he quickly walked over and grabbed his things.

"Goodbye ladies, I hope your bath is as enjoyable as mine was." He winked his stunning green eye and proudly strolled off into the forest.

Some of the girls giggled as he left, while most whispered rapidly about his earth bending. Their cleaning went by without another incident.


	5. Chapter 5

**5---**

The reason Suki had not been seen all that morning was because she was deep in thought.

Before the sun had risen she had donned her clothes and makeup and made the long walk up the hill behind the town towards Kyoshi's shrine. This is where most of her day was spent, it wasn't until late afternoon that her mind cleared and she made a decision. Well, she didn't make the decision; Kyoshi had made it for her.

As she sat before the past avatar's picture, she desperately asked herself questions. "What should I do? How can I continue seeing…" she paused, "Mikado without feeling something?" At this she looked up at the avatar's painting and spoke to, what she assumed was herself. "I know that as a proud warrior of Kyoshi I am sworn to celibacy. But this boy makes me feel things that I cannot control, even with a fighter's determination. What can I do?"

The question had obviously penetrated the twisting astral planes, for the spirit of the tall earth-bending avatar heard it, and she had decided to respond to her best pupil.

"You ask a question I cannot plainly answer, young one."

Suki was startled at the booming response and jerked back in fear.

"Do not fear me, my proud warrior. I have taken interest in you, and your situation." Kyoshi's voice was loud in her ears, she could be certain everybody on the island would hear. Yet the avatar's voice was soft, like that of a mother, and she knew that it was only for her.

"What would you have me do, my sensei?" Suki genuflected on the floor to the image of the powerful earthbender.

"If I told you that you will be held to your vows and you could never see this man again?" the spirit inquired.

Suki thought a moment, and carefully choosing her words responded, "I would ask your forgiveness humbly and return my ceremonial kimono and headdress and resign from your teachings."

Suki did not expect a laugh, she expected scorn, or even rage, but when the booming mirth came, it rocked her senses. "Indeed! You are a fine warrior, Suki, one that I would not want to lose. More than that, you are a fine woman with a good soul." The past avatar regarded her disciple and, leaning close, she laid her hand on the girl's shoulder. "I give you leave from your vows," Suki looked up, tears of joy in her eyes, "More so, I give you my blessing. This Mikado is a great and powerful earthbender, with respect not only towards the other nations and those fighters equal with him, but also to those who are weak and otherwise beneath him. He is a kind man Suki, but his passion for you is burning him up inside."

She took a few more long moments to stare into the girl's lovely eyes, ones that looked very much like her own, she noticed. "I fear that even if I refused you, and you did not see him again, he would perish for lack of you." She picked Suki up and gave her a warm hug, like that from a mother to a daughter. "Go to him Suki, and as a stand in for the mother you lost early on, I beg of you to find happiness." She paused and smiled, "In this man, I see it."

The image of Kyoshi faded into the darkening sunset. Tears still running down her cheek, Suki ran out into the waning light and down the hillside. "Thank you, Avatar." She said through her constricting feelings.


	6. Chapter 6

**6---**

Mikado was slightly disappointed he had not seen Suki today. At the very least he wanted to apologize to her for what he did. He assumed that he had shocked or disgusted her so much that she took refuge in the dojo all day and did not exit for fear of seeing him.

The more he thought about it the more he discredited it. Suki was a warrior, as fierce as a lioness. If she didn't like what he had done to her, she would find him and reprimand him, maybe even punish him with a slap across the face. She would not withdraw from him and be shy. It didn't match her fiery personality.

As he closed up shop, Kareem having left early again, he resolved to go out of his way and stop by the Kyoshi warrior's dojo to see her. He didn't quite know what he would say to the girl, and he spent most of the time walking up the road mulling it over. An apology would probably be appropriate, he thought, but if she reacts before he says it, he might not get the chance. Also, if he found her in a different mood, an apology wouldn't be needed. But then what would he say? I love you? No, that would be corny; he was almost guaranteed to be laughed out of the building.

As he approached the illuminated hut he got cold feet. Not more than ten paces from the threshold he found that he could not go any further. He grumbled at himself, he could not let his feelings stop him from this.

He tried to take a step forward again but found that he could not. Not a mental type of can't, but he physically couldn't move.

Mikado glanced down to try to coax his legs into moving, but to his astonishment found that they were mired up to the knee in hard rock. It seems his emotional subconscious bent the dirt beneath him to anchor himself to the spot.

"Damnit, what in the hell?" he cursed quietly, well aware of how close he was to the dojo.

He calmed down and patted his emotion on the head, like a boy would a dog, and firmly tied it to the deepest part of his mind. The earthbender tensed his arms and pushed them down in a forceful motion, sending his rocky shackles back into the ground.

With a grim look on his face he marched up to the door of the hut, raised his hand to knock, turned, and marched straight back down the road.

He sighed as he entered the old man's home. Not even the meal of warm shellfish and the continuing story of the siege of Ba Sing Se (which Kareem put his heart into) could raise the young man's spirits.

Seeing his guest was gloomy, the old geezer took it upon himself to cheer the boy up. "Hey, c'mon. I wanna show ya something." He grabbed Mikado's wrist and, pulling him in tow, left the house and yanked him down the street.

The earthbender had found out that the best way through these situations was to humor the old man. Most of the time they turned out quite fun and amusing. "Alright I'm coming, you don't have to pull my hand off!" He said playfully as they passed the last building and all that surrounded them was trees.

Kareem did not release his powerful grip on the boy, but he did slow his pace for the kid's benefit. Theses youngsters aren't as fit as they were back in my day, he chuckled to himself.

It wasn't a terribly long walk, just long enough that Mikado could wonder where they were going. Then they were there. The gasp of amazement that Mikado let out was very audible and the expression on his face could have been seen by a blind earthbender a mile away (as the saying went.)

Kareem just stepped back and smiled his toothless smile at the boy. "Well? Whaddya think?" he asked.

Mikado attempted to form words, but they escaped him. Finally, after a few tries, he managed a response. "It's… Wonderful!"

Kareem had taken Mikado on a roundabout path on the island to the opposite shore. The path up the mountain behind the town and back down the other side was steep and dangerous, but this little-used game trail fixed that problem perfectly. They stood atop a cliff above the placid waters in the Kyoshi straight, the path of water that separated Kyoshi island from the rest of the continent. But it wasn't the water or the distant shore that amazed him.

It was the blue-white glow of hundreds of turtle-whales. Very few sailors had the chance to see turtle-whales in their mating season, but the sight was said to render even the hardest pirate speechless. The large denizens of the sea were known to use a light that stemmed from their eyes to attract their mates. Each whale mated for life, and the exact hue of the glow allowed the males and females, who had been apart for a full year, to find each other once again.

Now, gathered in a large pod just off the coast of Kyoshi, were hundreds of these creatures. Every one of them emitted two shining lights, and the combination of so many lit up the ocean as the stars did the sky.

"How… what… wow…" was all Mikado could utter while staring at the calm, radiant waters.

Kareem just smiled, and after regarding the stunned young man replied, "They gather here every year, though very few people know it. The females come down from the icy northern waters, and the males swim up from the south pole to meet. Each whale has its own unique glow, and they use it to find their mates." He stuck his hands in his pockets and stared out to sea.

After a few minutes of the two men standing in silence, Kareem broke the serenity of the moment with a mischievous grin and similar tone, "Ya know, they're only gonna be here for another few days. Then they'll be gone for a whole year. If someone was to bring another person up here, say someone special to them, they'd have to do it tomorrow night or the night after."

Mikado tore his gaze away from the sea to look at the old man. "What do you mean?" his eyes narrowed as he sensed that the geezer knew more than he was letting on.

"Ohh nothing, it's just me and Misty used to come up here every year to watch the turtle-whales and their astounding light show. 'Twas our little secret." He winked at the younger man and, grinning his wide grin, turned and walked down the path.

Mikado knew what the old man was talking about. But how he found out about Suki was beyond him. Glancing one last time at the whales, he sighed and followed Kareem down the trail. The old geezer was right; this would be a perfect place to bring her.

"Damn! That old man is good!" he smiled at the crazy antics of the elderly and, with a spring in his step, walked back to town.


	7. Chapter 7

**7---**

Mikado only had a few hours sleep before waking up again. Hours before dawn, he rose and readied. Leaving a note for Kareem, apologizing that he could not make it to work today, he left the house.

Quietly, in the early hours of the morning he stole by Kyoshi's dojo to leave another note for Suki. This one was barely longer than the one for Kareem.

_Suki-_

_I humbly request your presence at the docks tonight just before dusk. We must speak. Come alone._

_-You know who_

He climbed the porch pillars on the small hut and, using a skylight, entered and left the missive inside of Suki's new fans. "She'll find it there, that's for sure." He exited and headed for the shoreline.

A few fisherman were up when he approached the docks. A few of them jumped when he walked past, having startled them. They watched as he went all the way to the end of the pier and stared out at the horizon.

"You think he might jump in?" one of them jokingly asked his companion.

The other glanced at the odd boy on the dock and similarly said, "Maybe if we're lucky. I think he might be trying to summon the Unagi." They both laughed at their little joke and continued to stare at Mikado.

He squatted down and made gestures at the water, and both men laughed harder. "Aye, he's a loony that one." To their surprise he jumped into the water, clothes, swords and all. They gasped and they both stood and ran to the end of the dock, fully intending to jump after, what they assumed, the drowning man.

They both let out a gasp of awe when they instead saw the young boy standing on a circular platform of rock. Mikado turned to face the two old men and against their faces of astonishment waved. "Good luck fishing!"

With that the rock he was on sped off across the water, skipping over the waves and sending splashes of mist into the air. They watched as – with the speed faster than even the great water tribe ships – he sped around the corner of the island and was lost to sight.

"I think we might be the ones who are going loony!"

Suki started the day normally, with only a slight detour on her way to the dojo. She had decided last night that it would not be the best time to go see Mikado, but this morning she felt refreshed and ready for the confrontation.

She walked into the small shop with her usual air of nonchalance; really she was very nervous inside. When she saw Kareem at the counter her spirits fell, but only slightly. Before she could ask where Mikado was, Kareem answered.

"He's not here." He smiled up at her. "He left me a note this morning saying he couldn't make it, and the fishers asked me if the young man was crazy in the head."

Suki was puzzled at this but, the old man enjoying her enquiring expression, didn't allow her to hang long.

"They say they saw him at the docks really early, and he rode a magic carpet off the island and towards the mainland." He rolled his eyes, "you know fishers though, they bend the truth a bit. But, I think they were right in saying he left the island."

Suki's eyes really fell at the news, but the geezer reassured her, "Don't worry he'll be back, just off runnin' a few errands I imagine." He grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly for a moment then, whistling a tune, turned and walked into the back of the shop.

It was only then that Suki went up to the dojo and found her own note. A small smile slipped onto her face, "you know who eh? Alright, I'll humor him." She folded the note again and stuffed it in her glove. Reflecting for a moment on Kyoshi's words she smiled again.

Then the instructor side of her kicked in and she rounded on the girls under her care. "Alight! Grab your gear, fans, and make sure your shoes are tied! We're jogging to the top!" She pointed at the summit of the tallest mountain on Kyoshi.

The girls groaned, but did as they were told. Meanwhile, Suki stood at the door waiting for them to finish getting ready and line up. "Today ladies!" She smiled again, and led the single-file line out the door and up the road.

Mikado was having an equally troublesome day and, if one compared them side by side, the girl warriors on Kyoshi had it better.

After coming to land at port in a small town opposite the channel as Kyoshi, he paid for and ate a quick breakfast and pulled another rock out of the ground. This one wasn't as large or flat as the one he used to surf the ocean, and it had hundreds of smaller, spherical ones underneath it.

He jumped on top and waving his arms around like a windmill, a movement his master said came from water benders, the stones beneath him began rolling and he was off. He squinted at the just-now rising sun and grumbled to himself, "This is going to be a

long day."

By the time the sun had fully risen Mikado was in the town he sought. About an hour after he set out, he was slowing his rock-cart down on the outskirts of a small mining village.

He tapped an old beggar on the shoulder, "can you point me to the blacksmith's shop?" After a few coins in the man's hand and a few minutes of walking, Mikado strolled up to the blistering hot building.

He called out to the large man manning the anvil, and after a few shouted attempts, caught his attention. "Excuse me sir but am I correct in thinking you have a large quantity of charcoal here?"

The large man regarded the mysterious youth for a few moments, and sensing he might make a few coins out of this replied, "You are right, I do. Will you want to be buying some?" he asked hopefully.

"I will, about fifty pounds in fact." The boy pulled out his purse and asked, "How much will I be owing you?"

"Hmm, about six gold." He said after a few moments of arithmetic. Considering he bought that much for four, six was a reasonable price.

Mikado produced the coins and handed them to the large man. "Thank you, could you put them in a bag or box for me?" The blacksmith waved to his assistant who started shoveling the black rocks into a thick bag. "Also, can you show me where the goldsmith is in this town?"

His bag of charcoal in tow, Mikado walked into the fine jewelry shop to set up another deal.

"Thirty-five gold? Alright, I'll be back late this afternoon to pick it up. Thank you." He dropped the agreed upon amount into the man's thin fingers and strode out the door.

He walked out of town and found the tallest hill he could. Here he dumped out all the charcoal on a flat rock he had wrenched from the bones of the earth and sat down to meditate.

"I'll need to concentrate everything I've learned for this." He withdrew into the depths of his mind, recalling a time long past.

"NO!"

Mikado grimaced at the whack of the willow rod across his back; the pain would come soon after. The delayed reaction of the punishment had him always hoping that this time, it wouldn't come. But it always did.

"Ahh!" He cried and fell of his perch.

Today was a particularly grueling day, he and two other students stood atop vertical logs mired in a slushy mud. They were forced to balance on the barely wide-enough log and pass a large rock between them by tossing it to the next person in the triangle.

Mikado had just tossed the boulder to the next guy, but in the process lost his balance. As he was about to fall, both the other students and his master watching him, he used earthbending to shoot a rock out from under the log and right himself.

He lay on his back in the gooey mud, his eyes burning from both the sting on his back and the sun in his face. A shadow loomed over him, but he kept his eyes closed rather than face his teacher.

"You do not understand the exercise!" his tall heavily muscled teacher yelled at him. "The point is balance! Teamwork! Understanding more than just earthbending!"

Mikado finally felt the sting on his back subside and he rose up in the muck. "I'm sorry sir, it won't happen again." He lowered his head and resumed his precarious stand on the log.

His teacher glared at him then motioned to the boy with the rock to set it down. "Drop that boy, I'm going to tell you all a secret." Relieved the kid dropped the stone on the ground and jumped off his log to stand in front of the master, clearly ready for some great insight. "GET BACK ON YOUR LOG!"

After the boy had lowered his head in shame and balanced himself again the large man continued. "You must not come to rely solely on your earthbending. All of you are great students at that, but you still lack what is required to become the best!" He turned to face all three of them, looking each in the eyes. "Great benders do not learn from only their own element, but from all of them. This exercise here is to remonstrate that. "The mud beneath your feet, defines balance, a key factor in waterbending. You must properly use breath control and muscle control when you throw and catch the rock or you will be smashed, these are the major parts of firebending. Proper airbenders would tell you that teamwork, and thought pattern is required to harness their element; that is, if there were any of them left." He chuckled at his small joke, one the students did not get. "The point is, that you must take knowledge from all the elements! Even if it's only used to defeat someone of that element."

Still seeing the confused looks on the kids' faces he gave up. "Whatever, just toss the rock." He sighed and picked up his willow stick again.

Mikado's mind returned to the present. It had taken him many years to understand and master what his teacher had told him on that day. Now, he would have to use it in full practice.

He stood, his mind now clear of everything but the task ahead of him. He didn't even remember why he was doing it, which was just a sign of his extreme meditation methods.

"I have the rock at my feet, to guide and protect me." He squatted and planted both of his feet firmly on the hard rock, straddling the pile of charcoal.

"The Air surrounds and fills me with life." He took several deep breaths and placed his hands palm-down above the black rocks.

"Water flows through me and nourishes my body." He tensed his arms, causing the veins to pulse outward.

"The fire is within me, bringing warmth and light." He closed his eyes, focusing the fire of determination within.

"I am with Earth, I am with Air," He chanted, "I am of Water, I am of Fire." His hands clenched into a claw-like shape.

"The Elements are mine, and I am theirs." Focusing his thoughts to the coal beneath him, he slowly closed his hands.

Sweat beaded from his forehead and arms, sliding down his body. He stood, nearly motionless for hours, except for the slow, almost unnoticeable closing of his hands.

If anyone had passed by and seen him they surely would have thought him a statue, or insane; most likely the latter. Thus it was the reasoning behind him choosing such a secluded spot. If those same people had stopped to watch him without interrupting they would have seen the slow yet machine-like movement of his closing claws, and they might have taken notice of the pile of coal at his feet, shrinking ever so slightly.

Mikado's thoughts were on his work, but small parts of his mind wandered past. These inconsequential thoughts did not waver his conscious in the slight, but they occupied themselves as bored children would.

Somewhere on the inside of his mind, Mikado smiled. Since he had been trained by the legendary masters at Ba Sing Se, he was also forced to exercise his mind. All of his masters adamantly recommended his attendance at the University, and after much pressure and heated arguments, he obliged. They did pay for it, of course.

What he learned there was very dull, all of his classes boring and worth nothing more than to sleep through. History was dull, filled with times of peace, mysterious airbenders, and something about a glowing bridge between the real world and the spirit world that disappeared a hundred years ago; all crazy talk as far as Mikado was concerned.

The one class that intrigued the young man most was that of Science. Not all of it, particularly the field of Chemistry. It was here that Mikado had learned of the structure of everything on the planet. More importantly, the elements that made up the ground.

Carbon, silicon, magnesium, iron, cobalt, zinc, and nickel among many others. It was through this knowledge that Mikado had pioneered some new fields in earthbending and was granted the rank of Ground-Master. It was a title he did not really want, but it's benefits did pique his interest. Mostly it was the money that drew him, after leaving his family's farm he wasn't as well-off as he had hoped.

Carbon, a main ingredient in most items. Its purest form was that of coal and charcoal. Each had it's impurities, but it was as close as one could get it. What few people did not know, was that carbon was also the main ingredient of a much more valuable object.

Mikado's hands finally finished closing. The touch of his fingers on his thumb surprised him after the long time of a clenched claw. He opened his eyes and groaned at the pain in his hands. His legs too were burning from standing in a low crouch for so long.

He looked up at the sun and, squinting, deciphered that it was about one o'clock. "Good, I'm right on time." He seemed accepting of that he just spent five hours crouching in the hot sun, seemingly doing nothing. "Now where is that…"

He looked down at the flat rock he was standing on, and was pleased. All the charcoal was gone from the surface, with only a few remaining score marks. He bent over and looked all around the surface of the rock, but was eventually forced onto his hands an knees to find what he was looking for.

Amidst the dust and extra coal he found what he was looking for. Grabbing it in his fingers and brushing it off, he held it up to the light.

It was small, about the size of a large pea. It had a oblong shape to it, as that of an egg and, as he peered closer Mikado grinned.

"Perfect, flawless, just the right color too." He held the object between him and the sun, staring into its depths.

He held a stunning rock that glinted in the afternoon sun; a diamond.


	8. Chapter 8

**8---**

Suki was an impatient person; anyone on Kyoshi could have told you that. Now, as she sat waiting near the docks, her patience ran out. It was only her strong emotions that kept her glued to the spot.

She didn't have to wait too long, for after a few minutes she heard a soft whizzing and splashes coming from the bay. She turned to look and saw a large flat rock skipping off the waves. Perched atop was a lone figure.

She smiled, "Ohh you show off."

Mikado sped all the way up to shore and his transportation turned to sand and blended with the beach in a fluid motion, he stepped off and bowed to the waiting woman.

"It's about time you…" she mocked, but was silenced by him holding up his hand.

"Please, follow me." He looked up and stared into her eyes.

She couldn't manage a response as she stared into his luminescent green eyes. She nodded and he took her hand.

He led her through a twist of trees on a small path that was grown over a bit by the local vegetation. His pace was not fast, but it did have determination to it.

Suki was just about to wonder where they were going when they stepped out onto a small clearing. He let go of her hand and stood at the edge of the clearing, which was a hundred foot straight drop into the ocean.

Her eyebrow went up as she followed and stood beside him. "Well? What is it?" she crossed her arms and tried to act tough. Her voice faltered and she knew he could see right through her façade.

"Just watch," he gestured to the calm ocean waters.

At that moment the sun set behind the distant mountains on the mainland, and as soon as it passed behind the horizon, Suki's mouth dropped open.

The whales were still there, as Mikado had hoped, and when darkness finally fell, their mating lights shone brightly. The stars that filled the sky were no match for those that filled the sea.

Suki could not hide her wonder, it was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. It was only when she noticed movement beside her did she pull her eyes away to look at Mikado.

He had turned to face her, and for a long moment they stood there, just staring into each other's eyes. She was just about to rush forward and kiss him, when he moved.

He dropped to one knee; Suki's eyes widened with amazement

He pulled a small velvet case from his pocket; Her eyes filled with tears.

He reached up and opened the box; she couldn't breathe.

He pulled the ring from it, and slid it onto her right hand.

"Suki, will you do me the honor…" She couldn't hear the rest, her blood pounded in her ears. It was a slightly lengthy speech, but at the very end she could here four words above her beating heart. "Will you marry me?"

She couldn't see anymore for the emotions that poured from her eyes, but she found his hand in the blur and pulled him up to her.

"Yes."

She embraced him, and he wrapped his arms around her. She had never enjoyed the warmth of another person as much as she loved this moment right now.

She pulled back abruptly, and Mikado was stunned, he was hoping they'd kiss again. "Wha?" he asked, but she placed her finger over his mouth,

"On one condition." She smirked, clearly hiding back more tears.

"Name it, anything. The fire lord himself couldn't stop me from being with you."

She choked back more tears, "You never hide your eyes from me again." She tried in vain to hold her smile, but it collapsed into more tears.

"Never."

He held her close and they felt each others lips once again.

She would never forget the taste of strawberries.


End file.
